“I know how to build a team”

But the 52-year-old remained defiant, choosing to redouble his efforts.

“Part of taking this position was the challenges,” Frank said. “Part of it is dealing with those setbacks, learning and moving forward. One thing I’m 1,000 percent sure of, I know how to build a team, I know how to build a club and we will do it.”

“The most important thing is how we learn from bad periods. That’s when we can also see when we are losing 1-0. How do we react as a team? The best teams continually move forward. They always run hard, they always do the same thing. There’s no doubt about that.”

To illustrate his point, Frank spoke about the journey of the man he will soon meet on the touchline, PSG manager Luis Enrique, who said he “had to face a lot of battles” before achieving great success in the French capital.

Frank said: “His [Enrique’s] the first season he had to face a lot of battles and he also changed everything, playing with the biggest players in Europe and playing with fewer stars; very determined players who play for the team.

“He created one of the best teams in the world by making these changes. Even last year they were on the verge of being eliminated from the Champions League. It’s marginal at times.”